Pipe hanger



March 13, 1962 w. E. GLATT 3,025,030

PIPE HANGER Filed Sept. 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. lV/JU/M .6. 6x477 March 13, 1962 w. E. GLATT 3,025,030

PIPE HANGER Filed Sept. 23, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR. lV/ZZ/i/i/ 5. 4x477,

wM z it ttes Patent 3,025,030 PIPE HANGER William E. Giatt, 6549 Nixon Ave., Chicago, Ill. Filed Sept. 23, 1958, Ser. No. 762,811 7 Claims. (Cl. 248-74) This invention relates to pipe hangers and more particularly to pipe hangers for use with downspouts or the like.

There has long been a need in the building trades for a pipe hanger or downspout anchor that is easy to install, simple in construction, and yet is adaptable for use with all sizes and shapes of downspouts. Accordingly it is a purpose of this invention to provide a pipe hanger that can be installed with a minimum of effort and equipment, for example with only a hammer and a nail.

Another purpose is a pipe hanger that will fit all sizes of square and round downspouts.

Another purpose is a pipe hanger that will firmly hold a downspout in position on the wall of a building.

Another purpose is a pipe hanger that holds a downspout away from a building so as to permit access to the building area behind the spout for painting and cleaning.

Another purpose is a pipe hanger that holds a downspout away from a building so as to keep water away from the wall surface of the building in case of an ice break or overflow in the gutter.

Another purpose is a pipe hanger which will permit easy removal of a downspout so that the spout may be cleaned, repaired, or painted.

Another purpose is a wedge for use with a pipe hanger, such as described herein, which wedge will compensate for any slant or inclination in a building wall.

Another purpose is a pipe hanger that is rust resistant.

Another purpose is a pipe hanger that will secure ducts or the like to the wall or ceiling of a building.

Another purpose is a pipe hanger which may be so assembled for shipment that the component parts will not become separated or lost.

Other purposes will appear from the ensuing specifications and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a component part of a pipe hanger,

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the component part of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a front view of a second component part of a pipe hanger,

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the component part of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a top view of the component part of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 6 is a partial top plan view showing a modification of the component part of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 7 is a partial side view showing. a modifica tion of the component part of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 8 is a side view of a pipe hanger as used to secure a downspout to the wall of a building,

FIGURE 9 is another side view of a pipe hanger as used to secure a downspout to a wall, wherein the pipe hanger has not been locked into position, and

FIGURE 10 is a front view of a wedge for use with a pipe hanger such as described herein.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 indicates generally a hanger member consisting of a pair of side walls 12 and a top wall 14. Projecting upward from the front end of the hanger member are two prongs 16, generally perpendicular to the top wall 14, the ends of which are enlarged as at 15 to reinforce the points of the prongs. Slots, as at 18, near the back end of the hanger are generally parallel to the side walls 12, and are adapted to receive locking tabs hereinafter described. The top wall 3,025,030 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 14 has an irregular aperture 20 which is adapted to receive a pressure arch and a bearing member which project from a bracket member, and will be described later. The aperture 20 is shown in another form in FIGURE 6, wherein there are two smaller slots 22 adjacent the prongs and equally spaced therebetween, which slots can receive bearing members projecting from the bracket member. An aperture 24, which has an angularly offset enlarged portion 26, is adapted to receive a pressure arch projecting from the bracket.

Holes 28 in the side walls 12 are adapted to receive a pin or other fastening means which can be inserted through the holes 28 and similar holes in the bracket member so as to provide means for locking the hanger to the bracket after the pipe hanger has been fastened to a downspout. The lower front of the side Walls 12 are outwardly flared as at 30, so that when the hanger is pivoted on the bracket member there will be no binding surfaces. The forward edge of the aperture 20 is rolled inward as at 32 to form a pivot member which may bear against the bearing member of the bracket.

A bracket member 34, shown in FIGURES 3, 4, 5, and 7, may include a bracket plate or back plate 36 with an elongated fastening slot 38. Disposed on either side of the slot 38 are fastening holes 40. The back plate may have an inwardly recessed area, as at 42, adjacent the slot 38, which may act as a spring to keep the bracket securely fastened to the wall. When the pipe hanger is assembled and mounted, the back plate 36 is fastened to the wall of a building by a nail or other suitable fastening means inserted through the slot 38 and/or the holes 40.

Bracket side plates, as at 44, generally trapezoidal in shape, may be welded or connected in some other suitable means to the back plate, and are inwardly inclined so that the plates are spaced close together at the forward end of the bracket. Projecting outwardly from the side plates 44 and generally parallel to the back plate are a pair of wings 46, which are adapted to abut the downspout. The wings 46 may have a slight curvature so that they can fit smoothly against a downspout or pipe. Vertical slots 48, in the wings 46 are adapted to receive the prongs 12 when the hanger is mounted or seated upon the bracket.

Holes, as at 50, in each of the side plates 44, may be generally aligned with the holes 28 in the hanger when the hanger has been pivoted into locking position, as shown in FIGURE 8. A pin may be inserted through the holes 50 and 28 so as to secure the hanger to the bracket.

A bracket top plate 52 may be welded or connected in some other suitable means to the back plate 36 and side plates 44, and can have projecting upwardly therefrom a pair of locking tabs 54 which are adapted to be received by the slots 18 in the hanger. After the hanger has been pivoted on the bracket and the: locking tabs inserted into the slots 18, the tabs may be bent over to lock the hanger to the bracket. The tabs are generally perpendicular to the back plate 36 and are adapted to be bent in a direction generally parallel to the structure to which the pipe hanger is fastened, by a hammer or other suitable means. When the hanger is locked to the bracket by either the locking tabs or the hole and pin arrangement above described, the hanger is rendered immovable on the bracket, and there is then no chance of either vertical or horizontal movement of the downspout.

Projecting upward and forward from the top plate is a support member or arcuate member or pressure arch 56 which has an enlarged end portion 58 generally perpendicular to the top plate. The enlarged portion 58 is adapted to press against the downspout or pipe when the pipe hanger is assembled and mounted on a building 3 wall. Also extending upward from the top plate is a generally curved bearing member 60, the inside surface of which may form a bearing surface for the pivot member 32.

In FIGURE 7 a modification of the forward end of the bracket is shown wherein there are no wings, such as shown at 46 on the form of the invention in FIG- URES 3, 4, and 5, and there are two bearing members 61. The modification shown in FIGURE 7 is adapted to work with the modification shown in FIGURE 6.

In FIGURES 8 and 9 the invention is shown mounted on the wall of a building. In FIGURE 8 the walls are clapboard, the board itself being generally inclined to the downspout 62. As best results have been obtained when the pipe hanger is generally perpendicular to the downspout, a wedge 64', such as shown in FIGURE 10, is interposed between the bracket member and the wall of the building. The wedge which provides a vertical surface for mounting the pipe hanger, can have a generally central slot 65 to receive the nail or similar securing means, which slot is generally aligned with the fastening slot 38 when the pipe hanger is mounted. The sides of the wedge adjacent the 'slot 65 are inwardly relieved as at 67 so as not to obstruct any nail or screw inserted through the fastening holes 40. I

The use, operation and function of the invention is as follows: a I

Hanging a downspout with the methods currently used in the building trade may involve exact measurements, raising and lowering the downspout several times before it is ready for mounting, and the use of a soldering iron and many other specialized tools. However, with a pipe hanger as disclosed in the invention, hanging a downspout is a simple task and a hammer or other suitable means is the only tool needed. First a nail, as at 66 is pounded into the wall at the desired location, a small amount of the nail being left projecting. The bracket 34 is slipped over the projecting head of the nail, the nail fitting into the fastening slot 38. The bracket is then forced downward until it is tightly held to the wall by the spring-like action of the inwardly recessed part 42 of the back plate. If the pipe hanger is to be fastened to a clapboard wall, a wedge, as at 64, is slipped over the nail before the bracket.

Normally the hanger is shipped mounted on the bracket so the two members wont become separated and lost, so that now after the bracket has been mounted, the hanger may be moved to an upright or vertical position such as shown in FIGURE 9. The downspout is then moved up against the prongs 16, and a sharp blow from a hammer or other instrument forces the prongs into the downspout. When the prongs 16 are completely inserted into the downspout, the pressure arch 56 with its enlarged head 58, and the slightly curved wings 46 are pressed firmly against the downspout. The pressure arch holds the hanger in its vertical position and prevents the hanger from tipping into the downspout before the holes are completed.

The hanger member is then pivoted in a clockwise direction until the hanger lays flat against the top plate 52 of the bracket. This presses the wall of the downspout firmly between the prongs, which are now completely inside the downspout, and the pressure arch. When the prongs are forced into place they seal the holes in the downspout, making the downspout water tight. The prong construction is such that when the prongs are completely inserted, the metal from the hole made by the prong is curled tightly under the prong leaving no chance for leaves or debris to catch in the downspout.

As the hanger is rotated in its clockwise direction, the pivot member 32 slides along the inside or hearing surface of the bearing member 60'. After the hanger has been completely rotated and is lying flat against the top plate, the locking tabs 54 are bent over by a hammer or other suitable means until they lie fiat against the top of the hanger. Then a pin is inserted through the holes 50 and the holes 28 in the hanger and bracket respectively. The hanger is then securely locked to the bracket, there being no possibility of movement in either a horizontal or vertical direction. Movement in the horizontal direction being stopped by the locking tabs and by the pin and hole arrangement, and movement in the vertical direction being stopped by the bracket itself which is securely mounted to the wall.

The hole and pin arrangement described above can be used as an auxiliary locking means to provide additional locking protection along with the locking tabs, or it may be the only locking means used. For example, if the pipe or downspout is to be disconnected and removed frequently the hole and pin arrangement should be the only locking means used, so that the tabs will not have to be straightened. The hole and pin arrangement can also be used to secure the hanger to the bracket while the tabs are being bent over, then it can be removed.

It often happens that when a pipe hanger or similar item is shipped, the component parts are loosely held together, so that during shipment the parts may become separated such that when the carton is opened at the point of destination the parts may be lost or misplaced. In the invention as shown in FIGURE 6, there is no chance of the hanger and bracket becoming separated during shipment. The enlarged end portion of the pressure arch is inserted through the angularly offset part 26 of the slot 24, the hanger member then being rotated and seated on the bracket so that the enlarged end portion is inside and generally parallel to the smaller part of the slot 24. As the enlarged end portion is larger than the width of the slot 24 there is no chance of the two members becoming separated.

Both the hanger and bracket have been described as having walls and plates which may be welded or connected in some other means. In the preferred form the hanger or bracket can each be stamped from a single piece of material, the various sides then being bent into position and fastened together by means of a suitable hole and lug arrangement. The bracket member and hanger member can be made from a variety of materials such as hardened steel or stainless steel, or they could be made from copper in which case the prongs are reinforced with a hard metal. I have also found it desirable to tin dip my pipe hanger so that it will be rust resistant.

Many variations, alterations, or substitutions are possible without departing from the fundamental theme of the invention. 'For example, two prongs, such as 16, are shown projecting out from the hanger member, but one prong projecting from either side or projecting from the center would also work satisfactorily. Also the locking tabs 54 are shown as being generally perpendicular to the bracket plate or back plate, but these tabs could be parallel to the back plate. Also the tabs are shown projecting upwardly from the bracket, but tabs projecting outwardly from the side of the bracket would also be satisfactory. The aperture 20 of the hanger member has been shown having a particular configuration, there can be various modifications in the form of this aperture without departing from the fundamental theme of the invention. With these and other modifications or alterations in mind, I wish only to be limited by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A means for supporting a downspout or the like including a bracket adapted to be mounted on a building, an arcuate member with an enlarged end extending upwardly and outwardly from said bracket and adapted to abut said downspout, at least one wing member generally parallel to and adapted to abut the downspout extending outwardly from said bracket, a hanger mounted on the bracket and having at least one prong extending thereform adapted to be received within the downspout, said hanger adapted to pivot on the bracket whereby the downspout is secured between a prong and the enlarged end of the arcuate member, at least one tab, generally perpendicular to the downspout, extending outwardly from the bracket and adapted to be bent over to secure the hanger to the downspout after the hanger has been pivoted.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized by holes in the bracket and hanger which are generally aligned when the hanger has been pivoted on the bracket, said holes being adapted to receive a locking pin.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the hanger has a slot with an angularly ofiset enlarged portion adapted to receive the enlarged end of the bracket when the hanger is mounted upon the bracket.

4. A pipe hanger for use in supporting a downspout or the like including a bracket adapted to be mounted on a building, a hanger pivotally mounted on said bracket, at least one prong projecting outwardly from said hanger and adapted to pierce the downspout, a support member extending outwardly from the bracket, said downspout adapted to be secured between a prong and said 2 support member when said hanger is pivoted on said bracket.

5. The structure of claim 4 further characterized in that said support member is generally arcuate in shape and has an enlarged end portion adapted to abut the downspout, at least one tab extending from the bracket and adapted to be bent over to lock the: hanger to the bracket after the hanger has been pivoted.

6. The structure of claim 4 further characterized by Wing members extending outwardly from the bracket and adapted to abut the downspout.

7. The structure of claim 4 further characterized by a wedge adapted to be positioned between the bracket and the building so that the bracket is generally perpendicular to the downspout.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 506,682 Ferris Oct. 17, 1893 808,864 McLaughlin Jan. 2, 1906 1,260,951 Baker Mar. 26, 1918 2,478,100 Histand Aug. 2, 1949 

